Counterbalancing means for foldable beds



March 21,1933. NE 1,902,619

COUNTERBALANGING MEANS FOR FOLDABLE BEDS Filed July 23, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

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H/S ATTORNEY.

March 21, 1933. G. F. CANE 1,902, 9

COUNTERBALANCING MEANS FOR FOLDABLE BEDS r the foregoing, will be set forth in the follow- 4 Patented Mar. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT eoanonr. claim, or SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, AssIeNoaBY mn'snnnssrenmnn'rs, T0 TEORN THOMPSON, or SAN FRANCISGQ, CALIFORNIA GOUN-IERBALANCING MEANS non roLnA'BL Buns Application filed July 23,

This invention relates to improvements in foldable beds and has particular reference to a counterbalancing means for such beds.

An object of the invention is to provide a foldable bed counterbalancing means of simple, small and compact form which will permit of the movement of the bed into and out of operative position in a particularly easy manner without requiring undue exertion on the part of the operator or sub] ectmg the bed parts to objectionable jarring and strains. 1

Another object is to provide a folding bed counterbalancing means of the character described which does not resist the movement of the bed from its vertical inoperative position until the bed is swung part way into operative position, whereby ease and safety of operation of the bed are assured, the bed structure as a whole will not tend to move I bodily toward the operator, and tilting of the truck is prevented.

manner that the resistance and counterbalancing action thereof may be readily and accurately varied to suit the conditions at hand.

till another'object is to provide a counterbalancing means of the character described which is mounted on the support for the bed and connected with the links joining the bed and support, in such manner that a smooth and reliable counterbalancing action is provided without tending to tilt the support or in any way objectionably interfering with the proper and easy movement of the bed into and out of operative position. 7 1

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with ing description of the'preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description may be 1929. Serial No'. 380,320. g 7

adopted within the "scope of the invention as set forth in the claims. Referring'to the drawings,

' Figure 1 isa fragmentary side elevation of a foldable roll-'about bed equipped with the counterbalancing means of this invention. l n

Figure 2 is a fragmentary s i'deelevation of the bed and counterbalancing means shown. in Figure 1,-the bed being shown partly extended position where the counterbalancing means commencestoresist further extension of the bed. i 1 Y I Figure 3 isa fragmentary side elevation of the bed "and'counterbalancing means as when the bed and said meansare ininoperative position. r

Figure 1 is a fragmentarytop plan. view of the bed as shown in Figure 3, Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view ofa detail of the invention. A y

The present embodiment of the'couriterbalancing means of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings as installed upon a folding bed ofthe roll-about type but it is obvious that thecounterbalancing 'means may be used with other types of folding beds. The bed here] shown comprises a bed frame G'pivotally connected by front and rear links 7 'and8 with a wheeled carriage or truck 9, said bed'frame being movable relative to the truck from vertical or up-ended'position into extended positionan d viceversa.

The 'counterbalancing means is mounted on the truck 9and operatively associated with the bed, in this instance through tlie medium'ofthe rear links 8, whereby a particularly efficient operation of the counterbalancing means and bed is provided for as will be hereinafter pointed out. As shown in the drawings, the counterbalancing means comprises a pair, of spiral torsion springs 11 and 12 mounted on each side of-the truck 9 upon'a rod or shaft 14 fixed in bearings 13 between the links 7 and 9. Certain ends 15 of the springs '11 arenextended downward and engage in eyes 16 of tension adjusting bolts 17 longitudinally movably supported on the truck and held in position and adjusted by means of wing nuts 18. The other ends of the springs 11 are extended in the form of arms 19 having hooked outer terminals 20' which engage with eyes 21 formed in the lower end of links 22 extending upward and rearward to the rear links 8. On the upper ends of the links 22 are long billed hooks 23 arranged to engage with out appreciable effort on the part of the operator and this isa particularly desirable feature in folding beds inasmuch as the initial movement of the bed from vertical position would be exceptionally diflicult,

the bed would move bodily toward the operator and the carriage would be likely to tilt if the action of the counterbalancing means opposed such initial movement.

With further reference to the counterbalancing springs, it will be noted that springs 11 function first when the bed is moved downward from partly extended position shown in Figure 2 and then the springs 12 are engaged to add resistance to said downward movement. Consequently the terminals 26 of the'springs 12 are selectively disposed to engage in certain notches 30 of a series formed in convenient parts of the truck 9, said ends of, notches providing for setting the springs 12 at different: tensions.

'The other terminals 27 extend forwardly and have angularly offset out portions 28iw'hich are'disposed over the arms 19 of the springs 11. Owing to thisarrangement, it will now be evident that when the bed is in inoperawound up, then the arms 19 will engage the end portions 28 of the springs 12 and on further downward movement of the bed the'resistance of the springs 12 is thus brought into play. By this arrangement the springs 12 take up the heavier loads occurring when the bed nears and then moves to the horizontal floor engaging posi- 'tion.

In this connection it will be noted that the bolts 17 and nuts 18 maybe readily operated to increase or decrease the tension of the springs 11 and to thereby regulate the counterbalancing action of the springs as best suited to the condition at hand, At-

tention is called to the fact that by the double spring arrangement a small, compact, and inconspicuous counterbalancing means is provided and will serve in a particularly efiicient manner over long periods of time, without requiring attention, and to render the operationof the bed easier and safer.

It will be noted that the spring arms 19 are arranged so that'they will move from the nearly horizontal position when the bed is upended to the nearly vertical position, when the bed is extended (see Figure 3) the said arms moving through approximately 90 degrees of are. This is substantially true of the arms or terminals 27 of the springs 12. This comparatively short movement resulting from the manner of operatively connecting .the arms 19with the bed frame through the medium of the links 22 and 8 makes practical the use of the small 585 conveniently located torsion springs. 1 Another advantageous feature of the invention is that the double tortiona'l spring devices on opposite sides of the bed are small and .inconspicuously placed yet particularly efficient by reason of the fact that the springs of each device function successively or progressively during :the counterbalancing of the bed.

I claim:

1. In a folding bed, a rollabout truck,

whereby upon displacement of said member relative to said truck the torsional twist ex erted by said spring may be adjustably varied. j

2. In a folding bed, a rolla'bout truck, an

upendable bed frame, interconnecting means between the frame and truck whereby the frame may be swung on the truck from vertical to horizontal position and vice versa,

a helical spring mounted on said truck and arranged with the ends thereof extended at; substantially right angles from the longitudinal axis of the-spring, means connecting one of said spring ends to said first named means, a threaded bolt carried by said truck and connected to the other end'of said. spring, and a manually adjustable nut car ried by said bolt and arranged to bear against a portion of said truck whereby upon rotation of said nut relative displacement between said bolt: and truck may be effected with a resultant variance in the torsional twist exerted by said spring.

3. In a folding bed, a rollabout truck, an upendable bed frame, interconnecting means between the frame and truck whereby the frame may be swung on the truck from vertical to horizontal position. and vice versa, a helical spring mounted on said truck and arranged with the ends thereof extended at substantially right angles from the longitudinal axis of the spring, means connecting one of said spring ends to said first named means, a member slidably and adjustably carried by said truck and connected to the other end of said spring whereby upon displacement of said member relative to said truck the torsional twist exerted by said spring may be adjustably varied, and a second helical spring disposed adjacent to and in alignment with said first spring and arranged with the endsvthereof extended substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the spring, one of said last named ends being disposed in the upended position of the frame spaced from but in the path of the means connected end of said first spring and arranged to engage said last named end during the downward movement of the frame, the-other end of said second spring being secured to said truck.

4. In a folding bed, a rollabout truck, an upendable bed frame, interconnecting means between the frame and truck whereby the frame may be swung on the truck from vertical to horizontal position and Vice versa, a helical spring mounted on said truck and arranged with the ends thereof extended at substantially right angles from the longitudinal axis of the spring, means connecting one of said spring ends to said first named means, a member slidably and adjustably carried by said truck and connected to the other end of said spring whereby upon displacement of said member relative to said truck the torsional twist exerted by said spring may be adjustably varied, a second helical spring disposed adjacent to and in alignment with said first spring and arranged with the ends thereof extended substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the spring, one of said last named ends being disposed in the upended position of the frame spaced from but in the path of the means connected end of said first spring and arranged to engage said last named end during the downward movement of the frame, the other end of said second spring being secured to said truck, and a lug on said truck positioned to engage and hold the first named end of said second spring in spaced relation to the means connected end of the first spring when the bed frame is moved to upended position.

5. In a folding bed, a rollabout truck, an

upendable bed frame, interconnecting means between the frame and truck whereby the frame may be swung on the truck from vertical to horizontal position and vice versa, a helical spring mounted on said truck and arranged with the ends thereof extended at substantially right angles fromr second helical spring disposed adjacent to v and in alignment with said first spring and arranged with the ends thereof extended substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the spring one of said last named ends being disposed in the upended position of the frame spaced from but in the path of the means connected end of said first spring and arranged to engage said last named end during the downward movement 0f the frame, and a plurality of notches provided on said truck each arranged to receive and hold the other end of said second spring and so disposed as to afford by a selective positioning of the spring and therein a variance of torsional twist offered by the second spring.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Oakland California, this 18th 

